Thought Leadership

More than a million businesses in the UK could be supported to formally transition to social enterprises, based on their current engagement with social issues, according to new research. Social Enterprise UK’s (SEUK) newly-launched ‘Transitions’ report reveals that as many as a fifth of SMEs in the UK aspire to make a positive social impact – but are not currently operating formally as social enterprises. This means more than a million organisations have the scope to transition to social enterprise status, and contribute more to the economy and society in doing so. As a result of its findings, SEUK is encouraging businesses in the UK to consider their status and learn more about how they could benefit from transitioning to a new model. Operating as a social enterprise allows a business to lock in its social and environmental purpose, ensure profits benefit that purpose, and enjoy wide-ranging benefits for staff, customers and clients by reaching new markets and developing new products and services. Social enterprises also regularly enjoy enhanced reputations, customer loyalty and employee engagement, whilst having wider access to funders and financers motivated by social impact. Peter Holbrook, CEO at SEUK, said: “Whilst we acknowledge the fantastic work of existing social enterprises in benefiting our economy and society, our research identifies that a huge number of other businesses are not maximising the opportunities available to them from social enterprise models and solutions. “No social enterprise is the same, either, so there are a variety of options for companies wishing to transition – for example, a small tech firm may be best suited to a co-operative model, employee ownership may fit a bigger retail business or a trust model could work well for a business running a heritage asset. “Therefore, we encourage businesses to find out more and understand if transitioning to a new model is viable for them, so they can reach their potential and make an even greater difference to the world as a social enterprise.” Read the full report here

Social Enterprise UK (SEUK) are proud to be a delivery partner on the newly launched VCSE Contract Readiness Programme.  Delivered in partnership with the School for Social Entrepreneurs (SSE) and Voice4Change England, and funded by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) – the VCSE Contract Readiness Programme’s objective is to enable social enterprises and charities to compete alongside other organisations for public sector contracts. The programme is divided into two pathways – one for voluntary, community and social enterprises (VCSEs) and one targeted at public sector commissioners, with an initial focus on commissioners at central government departments. How to get involved - VCSE pathway This programme is a great opportunity for social enterprises and charities wanting to win government contracts to find out more about how to successfully apply for these opportunities.  There are a number of ways for SEUK members to take part in the programme from introductory webinars to more in-depth short and long courses designed to help organisations implement the practical steps to become procurement ready. Our friends at SSE are primarily managing the VCSE pathway and more information can be found on the SSE website. Click here to find out more about the VCSE pathway and eligibility criteria. Organisations can sign up to 'Government Contracts Revealed', the first public webinar in the programme which will introduce social enterprises and charities to public sector procurement. This will be suitable for those with little or no experience of tendering. Click here to sign up The first available public webinar is on 25 April with further dates in June. The Public Services Hub The Public Services Hub is an online platform, developed by SEUK as part of the programme, which hosts resources and opportunities to help advance the role of social enterprises and charities in public sector commissioning.  From government guidance to details on how to find contracts – the Public Services Hub is a great first port of call for social enterprises and charities interested in working with government and the broader public sector.  The Public Services Hub also holds resources for commissioners to help them better understand the benefits of partnering with VCSE service providers. Click here to visit the Public Services Hub  We will be sending out updated information about the programme as more elements of it become live.

A multi-award winning social enterprise aiming to eradicate period poverty is celebrating after donating 30 million products to vulnerable people. The team at Musselburgh-based Hey Girls reached the major milestone this month after just five years of trading. The multi-award-winning social enterprise operates on a “buy one, donate one” model – meaning a box of period products is donated to community partners like foodbanks, homeless shelters and women’s refuges for everyone purchased. Celia Hodson founded the business with her daughters Kate and Bec after the family personally experienced the hardships of period poverty. Speaking after reaching the milestone, she said the business will not slow down while people continue to endure similar experiences. She said: “All of us are absolutely thrilled to reach such a major milestone. “In five years we have helped reshape the attitude towards periods in the UK and played our role in breaking the taboo. “But our work is far from over. The cost of living crisis has seen more people fall into period poverty and they need our help. “We are incredibly thankful to all our valued customers and supporters for helping us reach 30 million donations – but we won’t be celebrating for long. Now is the time for action.” One in 10 people in the UK are affected by period poverty, a situation that has worsened with the economic crisis. Customers typically include businesses looking to improve period dignity in the workplace, as well as local councils, universities and schools. Their purchases are matched with a donation to Hey Girls’ network of more than 250 community partners – a number continuing to grow. Away from selling products, the Hey Girls team also work hard to put pressure on governments and local authorities to bring forward positive change. Celia added: “So much has changed since we first started – and the passing of the Period Products Act in Scotland is proof that a fairer world is possible. “That historic day is one that will stay with us forever, but now is the time for the rest of the country to follow suit and achieve period equality once and for all.” Visit Hey Girls page on the Social Enterprise Directory

West Northamptonshire, UK - On March 14th, 2023, West Northamptonshire Social Enterprise Town (WNSET) will be launching a new investment fund aimed at supporting the growth and development of social enterprises in Northampton. The WNSET Social Enterprise Development Fund is funded by Northampton Forward as part of the Town’s Fund and supported by West Northamptonshire Council as a community-driven initiative that aims to provide funding and support for local social entrepreneurs to maximise the impact of the Town’s diverse social enterprise sector.The investment fund is designed to support social enterprises that are making a positive impact on the community and the environment, while also generating income and creating jobs. The fund will provide investment capital to social entrepreneurs to start and grow their social businesses, with a focus on those who are addressing local social and environmental challenges.The WNSET Social Enterprise Development Fund launch event, which will be held at the University of Northampton, Waterside Campus, Learning Hub, will feature presentations by local social entrepreneurs, who will share their experiences and success stories. Attendees will also have the opportunity to network and learn more about the investment fund and the support available for social enterprises in the area.Stephen MacFarlaine, Chair of the West Northamptonshire Social Enterprise Town, said: "We are excited to launch the WNSET Social Enterprise Investment Fund, which will provide much-needed funding and support to social entrepreneurs in the area. Social enterprises have the potential to create real change and improve the lives of people in our community and we are grateful to West Northants Council and Northampton Forward for their commitment and support for the sector. The Town’s Fund provides access to much needed funding to empower local social entrepreneurs and help them achieve their goals." Councillor Daniel Lister, Cabinet Member for Economic Development, Town Centre Regeneration and Growth at WNC, said: “The Northampton Social Enterprise Development Fund forms an integral part of West Northamptonshire’s ambitious £33 million Towns Fund and Future High Street Fund regeneration programme to transform Northampton Town Centre. “This project enables us to directly support the growth of our thriving social enterprise community who provide diverse and invaluable services for Northampton and beyond. We are delighted to see the launch of this fund and we look forward to seeing the positive contribution it makes to our community.” Martin Mason, managing director of Tricker's and Northampton Forward Board member, added: “We are delighted that as part of this project we’re able celebrate the independent spirit of social enterprises across West Northants and the vital role they play in developing and supporting our local economy. We look forward to working with our partners and businesses to drive this scheme forward.” The WNSET Social Enterprise Development Fund is part of the larger WNSET social enterprise place initiative, which aims to promote and support social enterprises in the West Northamptonshire area. WNSET provides training, mentoring, and access to funding for social entrepreneurs, with a focus on social and environmental impact.For more information about the WNSET Social Enterprise Development Fund and the launch event, please visit the WNSET website or contact wnsetcic@gmail.com.Contact:West Northamptonshire Social Enterprise Townwnsetcic@gmail.com www.wnset.org

This year, Breadwinners took Impact reporting to the next level by using a Participatory Action Research methodology. Led by Abdoul, a graduate of the Risers Programme, and a team of 12 young people including participants from the Proofers Programme, young people designed the survey questions and called over 250 alumni. This approach not only provided Breadwinners with meaningful insights to improve our programmes, but it also gave Breadwinners programme participants the opportunity to gain new skills and paid work. Read the full report here Breadwinners won the Prove It: Social Impact award at the UK Social Enterprise Awards 2022 - find out more.

Responding to the Spring Budget, Peter Holbrook, Chief Executive of Social Enterprise UK, said: Today, the Government has shown a more nuanced view on how fiscal policy can encourage investment and shape better business behaviours, that goes beyond corporate tax cuts. However, many social enterprises continue to work in a difficult economic environment. SEUK will continue to lobby Government for more support to deal with inflation and to be the voice for social enterprises which have an important role to play in building a stronger national economy.

Allia, the impact focused social enterprise, has released a short film to share has released a short film to share how supported modular housing communities help people who have been previously homeless or are sleeping rough to rebuild their lives. It features Eamonn Kelly, a resident of one of Allia’s modular home communities in Cambridge talking about how: “Having my own front door, my own shower, my own wardrobe and TV… at one time I couldn’t think of it as a reality because I was on the streets. It’s given me a chance to go back to who I am”. The film, which is available on YouTube and on Allia’s Future Homes webpage, highlights the first two modular housing projects that Allia created in Cambridgeshire. Modular homes are custom built units that are specifically designed to be used on smaller or fixed life sites, keeping them affordable for both the residents and the homeless charities that that manage them. As a result of working on these housing communities, Allia Future Homes now has a specialist team with hands-on experience of siting and project managing modular homes - and can provide expert advice and resources to homeless organisations, faith groups with land, local authorities and partnerships who would like to develop their own. The film also features Reverend Danny Driver, Vicar of Christ the Redeemer Church in Cambridge, which leased the land for Allia’s first modular housing community in 2020. Working closely with Jimmy’s Cambridge, a well-respected homelessness charity which provides intensive personalised support on-site for the residents, the units were built by New Meaning Foundation, a local charitable social enterprise which trains young, disadvantaged and formerly homeless people in modern methods of construction.  Partnerships such as these are key to making these projects successful - and the film shares six steps required to create this kind of community in any location across the country - along with business plans, securing sites and planning, fundraising and managing integrated building contracts, using meanwhile or permanent sites, and on modest footprints making them a feasible addition to existing church, council or community land. Allia’s film is being released the same week that the University of Cambridge Centre for Housing and Planning Research (CCHPR) host an online event to share their latest research assessing the impact of these modular home communities, on Thursday 16th March at 2pm, focusing on those in Cambridge. People interested in attending can register at www.eventbrite.com/e/modular-homes-discussion-event-tickets-541183663907. Earlier research by CCHPR showed real benefits for the residents of such communities, stating: “The evidence suggests that providing modular homes in tandem with robust support services has the potential to improve outcomes for people experiencing homelessness” and that “Modular homes are a cost-effective and flexible stepping-stone that help rough sleepers in desperate situations transition into permanent homes and settled lives.” Allia Future Homes Manager Lewis Herbert said: “Our team are here to help potential modular communities every step of the way, including how to secure funding, like the national £200m Single Homelessness Accommodation Programme working with their local councils. We are sharing our experience and expertise of what works to give as many former rough sleepers access a quality home of their own. We want to help double the 20 similar communities being built across the country, essential extra provision if we are to fulfil the objective that UK Government has set of near zero rough sleeping by the end of 2024. Residents in new modular communities support each other, as well as re-establishing family connections, developing new skills and beginning the journey back to work.” Lewis was previously Leader of Cambridge City Council from 2014 to 2021, where he secured £70m for the building of over 500 new council homes and to fund three more modular housing communities for former rough sleepers and homeless people in Cambridge.

Three social enterprise start-ups are celebrating the successful completion of the DIF Allia Accelerator Challenge at a demo day, which concluded with a share out of a £30,000 prize fund. For the last six months, the ventures have worked with teams from DIF Capital Partners, who have given bespoke mentoring and coaching to help them develop and grow their businesses. At the recent demo day, each start-up had a chance to pitch their venture to an audience from DIF Capital Partners and Allia, explaining how they felt they’d progressed their business over the course of the challenge, and what they hope the future holds for them. The winning venture, Paige Braille, which focuses on making multiline braille display more affordable to the blind, was delighted to accept the top prize of £15,000 - and plan to use the funds to bring their working prototype into market launch. The two runners up, InCommon Foundation, a social enterprise connecting young people with their older neighbours in London via community programmes and Lylo Product, which focuses on developing a portable washing machine that uses waste shower water to promote water efficiency, were awarded £7,500 each. The three ventures were: Paige: the world’s first low-cost, multi-line braille display. Existing braille displays are limited to a single line of text. This makes them unsuited to subjects which require context or a spatial layout, such as STEM, music, tables, and graphs. They are also incredibly expensive, costing between £500 and £9,000. By lowering the cost per braille character, Paige has been designed to tackle both of these problems and transform braille literacy and education worldwide. Lylo Products: promoting water efficiency by finding innovative ways to reuse water. Lylo’s product collects water when you shower, and then reuses it for laundry washing, using less water, as well as saving 90% of the energy typically used to heat it than an average washing machine. InCommon Foundation: a social enterprise that brings generations together, through delivering intergenerational programmes, mainly working with schools and retirement homes in 3 ways: primary school Connect programmes, social action programmes and resources. Jason Loo who was one of the DIF mentors, was very positive about the experience of taking part. He commented: “The Accelerator Challenge is an amazing way for me to volunteer my time effectively by applying my relevant skillsets in helping ventures make a difference in people’s lives. I see tangible impact in what we do and have continued to be inspired by the passion, drive and commitment of venture founders. We have learnt from them as much as they have learnt from us. I am proud to be part of yet another successful accelerator programme.” Andrew Brisbin, Director of Ventures at Allia said: “Really grateful to the team at DIF for building up three social impact businesses with their skills and knowledge. We need great examples like the DIF team to show others that there are meaningful ways that professionals can engage with impact businesses to accelerate significant positive change. Every action taken with intentionality can contribute to a positive ripple effect in society.” Gregory Hargraves from winning venture, Paige, added: “Paige has greatly benefited from being part of the DIF Accelerator Challenge, and winning this prize brings us one step closer to our goal of reducing the barriers to braille worldwide. The funding received is a huge boost on top of the support we have received from the DIF team. We strongly believe that braille is essential for literacy, and we are dedicated to making it accessible at an affordable price to people around the world. Throughout the Accelerator, the DIF team has dedicated their time and expertise to support our mission. With the funding, we can complete the CE marking process for our first product, Paige Connect, and continue to work closely with braille readers. We would also like to acknowledge and celebrate the outstanding work of Lylo Products Limited and InCommon." This was the second Accelerator Challenge that Allia worked with DIF on. It has also recently concluded an Accelerator Challenge with BRAN Investments, which offered mentoring and coaching to eight impact start-ups, with an investment of up to £100,000 available for successful ventures after the pitch day. If you have interest in getting involved in an Accelerator Challenge, please email our venture support team on hello@allia.org.uk and find out more.